1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to paperboard cartons erected from blanks of paperboard and particularly to a carton that has reinforced corners that do not require stitching.
2. Prior Art and Information Disclosure:
Corrugated paperboard cartons are available in many forms and designs depending on their intended use. These containers are manufactured as flat blanks and erected at the site of their intended use.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,582 to Ritter is for a corrugated box with a flap locking feature for produce.
A carton designed for use in carrying loaves of bread has unique requirements. The loaves may not be stacked, must be accessible and preferably be displayed. Accordingly, a container style that has been in use for many years is the socalled bread tray. The bread tray has a width and length about equal to the average man's reach and has a depth about equal to the height of a loaf of bread.
There are available several versions of a breadtray according to the present state of the art. One such breadtray has a rectangular bottom with four sides folded vertically and then folded back to form four walls having a double thickness. Two of the opposing sides have flaps on their ends which fold against the adjacent walls and are stitched in place.
The standard breadtray with stitched corners has a number of inconveniences. One inconvenience is the requirement of a tool for stitching. The method of manufacture requiring stitching is expensive compared to the present invention. Another problem is that the stitches tend to pull out.
Containers have been constructed in which corners have been secured without stitches. This has been accomplished by a flap on a side wall end inserted through a slot in an adjacent wall, folded back such that a tab on the flap is then insertable in a slot. However, the strength of this corner construction has not been adequate for the purposes intended for the present invention and therefore this design approach has not been used in the construction of breadtrays.